When comparing WeMo Insight vs iHome iSP5, the Slant community recommends WeMo Insight for most people. In the question“What are the best smart switches?”WeMo Insight is ranked 1st while iHome iSP5 is ranked 2nd. The most important reason people chose WeMo Insight is:

You can get on demand reports of energy usage as well as set up Insight to email daily, weekly or monthly reports of energy usage.

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Pros

Pro

Can send reports about energy usage

You can get on demand reports of energy usage as well as set up Insight to email daily, weekly or monthly reports of energy usage.

Pro

App has a simple button widget

Pro

Scheduling allows switch to operate automatically

Scheduling can be done on either a weekly basis (same schedule for the whole week) or you can configure each day individually (e.g., the weekend can have a different schedule than the weekdays).

Pro

Integrates with Alexa

Through Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa (found on the Amazon Echo ling of products) you can control the switch via voice.

Pro

Very configurable thanks to IFTTT

IFTTT (if this then that) allows you to set up conditional automations. So you can turn on or off devices attached to the switch based on conditions like time of day, your location or any trigger from 300+ services.

Pro

Good companion app

The WeMo app is simple to use, and provides quite a bit of information at a glance as well. There's a large power button to open/close the switch, as well as a timer which indicates how long the switch has been on for. It also shows data such as average on time each day, average cost and more.

Pro

Get notified when the switch is activated

You can set up the Insight to send you app notifications when the switch is turned on or off based on set rules. So you can, for example, get notified only between 9am and 5pm while you are at work, and turn off notifications while you are at home.

Pro

Third party hardware integration

WeMo is one of the leading Internet of Things ecosystems, and can integrate with a wide variety of other products that also support the WeMo standard.

Pro

Support for rules

Rules determine when your lights are on and off (think of it like scheduling for events instead of times).

Pro

Easy installation

The installation instructions are fairly basic - just connect to the switch's Wi-Fi, go into the WeMo app, make the connection, and then swap over to your regular Wi-Fi (if it works the first time).

Pro

Compact so it allows access to other plugs

This is one of the few smart switches which are small enough to not block surrounding plugs. That means that you still have access to all of your plugs, which is very important especially in older homes where accessible wall plugs can be limited.

Pro

Sleek design

While the other smart switches clearly look like an internet-connected product (read: eyesore), the iHome iSP5 doesn't share the same ugliness. It is compact and sleek looking, without extra buttons and a bunch of flashing lights. It has a single small LED, a white front, and a grey band running around its sides.

Pro

HomeKit enabled

HomeKit is Apple's smart home ecosystem, with deep integration with Siri. Controlling the switch is as easy as saying "Her Siri, turn the living room lamp on" as you're approaching your house. You can also group together different products which will all jump into action together: once configured, saying "Hey Siri, go to bed" can turn off all the lights, enable the security system, lock the doors, and turn down the thermostat with just the single command.

Pro

Integrates with Wink

Wink is an ecosystem that has compatibility with many products. Buying a Wink-compatible device means you have a wide selection of other devices that it will work with.

Pro

Voice activation through Amazon's Alexa

Alexa is an always listening voice assistant baked into Amazon's Echo series of products. These devices were all very well received, and can pick up voice actions from surprising distances. They will also allow anybody to control the lights (or whatever else might be plugged into this switch) without the need to setup an app on their phone.

Cons

Con

Poor Android app

The in-app performance is poor - it lags and studders. Performing any actions takes a couple seconds to register, and the overall experience is bad. This could be due to the Wi-Fi connection, or it could just be a poorly optimized app.

Con

Buggy setup

The setup process sounds simple enough - connect to the switch's Wi-Fi network to pair, and then swap back to your regular Wi-Fi. In practice, the connection is spontaneous. It takes a number of tries to set up the connection successfully.

Con

Power button can be distracting

When the switch is on it illuminates the power button which can be distracting. Especially at night or when watching a movie. And there's no way to turn off the power button without turning off the switch.

Con

Blocks other plugs

This switch is compact as far as smart switches go, however it is still large enough to block the other outlet on a typical 2 slot wall outlet.